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History of Fire and Fire Codes. A collaboration of historic fires and subsequent fire code changes. History of Fire and Fire Codes. Since its inception, fire has been a vital part of humankind’s existence and survival.

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History of Fire and Fire Codes

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Since its inception, fire has been a vital part of humankind’s existence and survival.

Years of experience, incidents, tragedies, and education has helped evolve how people handle, control, prevent, contain, and to provide the safest conditions for all with the phenomenon known as fire.

Agencies such as the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the International Code Council (ICC), Underwriter’s Laboratories (U.L.) have been monumental in the development of codes that limit the devastating effect that fire creates.

“We think 100 dead in a fire conflagration is behind us...yet one only has to look to the Rhode Island night club in 2003 when over 100 people died because of sound proofing foam put all over the walls and covering emergency exits. We can still see the lack of fire code enforcement still costs hundreds of lives. Can you imagine 100 people dying in a single fire in 2003? The hardest part of my job is convincing people enforcing fire codes matter.”

Boston, Massachusetts, 1631, John Winthrop, Governor of Boston, outlawed the building of wooden chimneys and thatched roofs of homes as each of these were found to cause more fires and dangerous fires throughout the community.

From this fire, new fire codes were adopted for Jails and Prisons under the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Life Safety Code (NFPA 101).

Include but are not limited to requiring new and existing correctional facilities to be constructed of limited- or non-combustible materials and to be provided with automatic sprinkler and/or fire alarm detection systems.

15 story hotel built in 1913 in Atlanta, Georgia under the “European” design and touted to be fire proof. Square design with elevators and stairwells located in the center. Walls were covered with burlap and wallpaper.

Built in 1910 and remodeled in 1958, the Our Lady of the Angels Catholic grade school held approximately 1,300 students.

School passed fire inspection 2 months prior to the fire.

Due to grandfather clause-school did not have an automatic fire alarm or sprinkler system. Stairwells and doors were not fire resistant. The interior furnishings were combustible and coated with a flammable sealant.

Building did have a manual fire alarm pull station, only 2 pull stations located in the school (in the South wing).

The 4 extinguishers in the North wing of the school were mounted over 7 feet off the ground, making them inaccessible to all students and most adults.

Single fire escape from second floor required passing through main corridor to reach.

The windows from the second floor were 25 feet off the ground due to the unusually high 12-foot ceilings.

November 21, 1980-MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada was a 26-story resort that housed approximately 5,000 people and 2,000 hotel rooms.

Due to an exception, the MGM Grand Hotel was not protected by a sprinkler system…much to the dismay of the local fire marshal.

A fire broke out at 7:00 a.m. in The Deli, a well known restaurant in the MGM Grand.

Fire was caused by electrical wires in the walls.

Smoke and fire spread rapidly throughout the building due to lack of separation in the stairwells, elevators, and seismic joints..

The Clark County Fire Department was dispatched and was the first agency on scene. The North Las Vegas Fire Department, the Las Vegas Fire and Rescue, and the Henderson Fire Department were also dispatched.

The Club, a wood frame structure, was equipped with non-fire resistant soundproof foam boards to limit the noise level.

This soundproofing board was 2.5 inches thick and was considered the lowest quality soundproofing board.

Soundproofing board obstructed a couple exits.

The building was equipped with an automatic fire alarm system.

Building not equipped with a sprinkler system due to an overlooked code requirement when the building changed occupancies…which required a sprinkler system to be installed as it no longer met a code exception.

Fire Code Officials work to ensure the buildings are properly protected, exits are properly accessible, extinguishing systems and alarm systems are functioning properly, and all systems and services within facilities are properly maintained in order to ensure the buildings are as safe as possible for all occupants.

Tragedies can be avoided when property owners and code enforcement officials work together.

It takes people changing their perspective regarding fire safety in order to avoid fire catastrophes.

“It’s been this way for 20 years” is not an excuse for deficiencies that could save lives and property when corrected.

In the end, the fire service goals are to preserve lives and property.